Help with crooked neck - wry/limp neck?

[mrsfarmerjen]

I\'d appreciate any suggestions from you more experienced chicken folks out there.  I\'ve been all over the internet and have searched the ABC forum for info but thought I\'d post the problem for input.  I have a two-week old chick (LF lavender Ameraucana) that has what I would call a crooked neck (just came on this morning).  It sits/stands with its head twisted as if it is looking with its right eye at the sky/ceiling and will twist its neck/head around like an owl, sometimes pretty upright, other times completely upside down.  It appears otherwise healthy with no indication of injury, etc.  I\'ve had it on commercial organic chick starter with vitamins in the water since day one.  The other chicks appear fine except for two other LF lav\'s that look like they\'re developing crooked beaks (argh!) which is a whole other topic to discuss...  

I read on the internet that the crooked neck could most likely be a vitamin E deficiency so I\'ll trying adding additional E to their vitamin water.  I also read that it could be an injury or just a defect that is just becoming apparent with growth/development or it could be something called paratyphoid that would require antibiotics.  The most likely cause seems to be the E deficiency despite the fact I\'ve supplemented since day one but any comments/suggestions would be appreciated.

[John]

I had one a week or so ago with similar problem.  I think it was a cockerel, LF lavender, that appeared to be about 2  to 3 months old with what looked like an extra long \"goose\" neck.  He had problems holding up his head.  David says it was \"limp\".  I figured it was some sort of congenital defect and don\'t recall ever seeing one with that problem before.   Maybe he is a brother to the one I had.
I\'ve noticed several crossed beaks this year with bantam silvers and some lavenders, but either none or not enough to remember with the other varieties.
I\'ve seen a problem in the past with crocked beaks mainly on the bantam brown reds.

[Mike Gilbert]

I agree the chick is probably suffering from a vitamin deficiency.   However, since he apparently is the only one exhibiting symptoms, I would tend to think he has a genetic propensity to lack the ability to utilize or synthesize the vitamins necessary for his well being.   If it were me I would cull him to avoid perpetuating a potential defect in the gene pool.
John, with your older bird did you consider the possibility of limberneck?   This can occur when a bird consumes moldy or spoiled food.    The treatment is flushing his crop with a solution of epsom salts.   I did successfully treat an adult rooster for limberneck a few years ago.   He was able to make a full recovery.

[John]

limberneck

Gee, I\'ve never heard of that...but recall Kathy saying something about necking...probably not the same thing though.
Oh, back to the bird (may he rest in peace)...

[Mike Gilbert]

Ah, John . .  John . . John .    I\'m glad we are not all so  deadly serious about this game.   Have a good one today.

[verycherry]

I actually have two birds with this right now, which is odd, because I\'d only ever seen it in Silkies.  One bird is an OEG bantam pullet and the other a young d\'Uccle hen.  

The d\'Uccle hen is almost over it, but I had to help feed her for over a week, and give her vitamin E by cutting the top off of one of the liquid capsules.  I didn\'t have the type with selenium, so this was regular.  I also gave antibiotics in her water because some have said this might be inner ear infection.  I don\'t know about that, but figured I\'d cover all bases.  She\'s doing well now and eating on her own but her head is still a bit tilted.  

The OEGB was in the brooder still, although an older chick, because she\'d just gotten over cocci.  She is BAD.  I may put her down if she doesn\'t improve in another day or two.  It\'s hard to feed her because her neck is so twisted under her, but when I get it unwound, she eats like crazy, so I have my fingers crossed and am giving her the vitamin E twice a day.

Hope this helps.  Good luck with your Lavender.

[mrsfarmerjen]

Thanks for the comments.  I almost put the little thing down last night as it was pretty bad off but something made me hold off till today.  Last night its neck was very twisted around and it really couldn\'t walk at all.  I had upped the amount of poult pack vitamins I mixed into the water and gave it some by hand last night and this morning.  This morning it appeared to be just a tiny bit better.  I finally got to the store today and purchased some E (in \"bulk\" bottle form for human oral use, no selenium just regular E).  About 2:00 I gave it a tiny drop with some water and I couldn\'t believe it but just a bit ago, five hours later, it\'s up running around with the others and has only a slight tilt to its head!  I\'ll give it a bit more before bed tonight and see what tomorrow holds.

If the chick makes it long term, I won\'t use it for breeding though just in case.  Mike, your comments make sense since this chick is the only one with a problem.

Verycherry - thanks much for the info. I hope your OEGB pulls through ok!

[mrsfarmerjen]

Well, bad news.  I put the chick down last night as there was no improvement this week.  At times it would appear much better but overall it was pretty bad off.  I left it with my vet (large animal vet) yesterday when  I took my dog for a post-op follow up visit (fox tail surgery, grr).  Just as a courtesy (no charge) they took a look and determined that it was a neurological problem, probably genetic - chick didn\'t know where its horizon was they said, that\'s why its head kept going upside down.  So, there\'s nothing I could have done for it anyways.  

On a side note, the two lav chicks I have with crossed beaks are getting worse and they\'ll have to be put down as well.  

Thanks again for the help/support!

[verycherry]

Sorry to hear that.  My sweet little OEG didn\'t make it.  She was one of three new girlfriends for my daughter\'s little OEG bantam rooster (pet).  All the other girls are way too big for him, but boy does he try anyway, lol!  Hopefully the other two girls will stay healthy.

My d\'Uccle hen still isn\'t 100% either and still walks around with a cocked head.  It\'s odd to me, because the Silkies I\'ve had with this in the past bounced right back, quickly in fact, and one of them is over 2 years old now and healthy as can be.